Experts have identified a method to help spot when someone is lying and it’s surprisingly simple. Many individuals, ranging from criminals to politicians, often resort to dishonesty for personal gain. A study revealed that deceit might even aid politicians in maintaining their positions. However, recent research has unveiled a straightforward technique to detect lies more accurately.
By asking a suspect to perform an additional task while being interrogated, it becomes easier to discern falsehoods. Lying places a greater cognitive burden on the brain, necessitating more energy for successful deception. Consequently, experts have found that engaging a suspect in a secondary task during questioning makes it harder for them to fabricate and sustain a lie convincingly, thereby enhancing lie detection.
The University of Portsmouth conducted a study, published in the International Journal of Psychology & Behavior Analysis, involving 164 participants. These individuals were questioned about their stance on contentious issues like Covid passports, immigration, Brexit, and political figures. Subsequently, they were instructed to either lie or tell the truth about these topics, with some participants also tasked with memorizing a supposedly crucial car registration.
The results indicated that the accounts of liars appeared less credible compared to truth-tellers, especially when the former were preoccupied with the secondary task. Professor Aldert Vrij, a co-author of the study, emphasized the significance of introducing secondary tasks cautiously to facilitate lie detection. He noted that such tasks must be perceived as important by the interviewees to prevent them from neglecting the task.
Professor Vrij further suggested that secondary tasks like gripping an object, holding an object in the air, or engaging in a driving simulator could be effective in aiding lie detection. Tasks that fail to meet these criteria are unlikely to enhance the accuracy of detecting lies.
This breakthrough in lie detection methodology offers promising implications for various fields, including law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and interpersonal relationships. By incorporating secondary tasks during questioning, individuals may find it more challenging to deceive others successfully.
